


What Needs Must Be

by welzes



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 08:50:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20207032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welzes/pseuds/welzes
Summary: For Eos, Somnus must produce an heir. Thus his son is born.





	What Needs Must Be

When his wife went into labor, Somnus sat on the throne and attended to his kingly duties. They were numerous now that the world could breathe freely from the daemons that dogged the people, and he could ill-afford to spend a single minute frivolously. He regarded the people at the base of the steps with calm cool while they spoke, none the wiser to the birth of his heir.

Hours after the delivery, he made his way to wife and son. His queen had drifted into a well-deserved sleep, leaving the servants to fuss over their newborn child on the crib. These servants bowed their heads and stepped aside at his approach.

A particularly bold servant ventured to pick up and offer the newborn to Somnus, who asked, "Is he well?"

"The picture of health, Your Majesty. You and the Lady have sired an heir most strong."

"That remains to be seen."

The newborn in his arms yawned drowsily. Clad in nothing but a thin strip of fabric, and without a single means of defending himself from the outside world, this heir of his was as weak as any baby was wont to be. Somnus lifted his hand, ghosting his knuckles over the newborn's flushed cheek.

His son. His heir. After so many years of taking lives, he was finally able to give one back to the world.

Something like a mixture of joy and regret welled in his chest. He returned the newborn to one of the servants and departed, back to the throne.

* * *

"His Highness the Prince doesn't resemble his father much."

"Hush, you, and enough of that. Think of what your words imply about our queen!"

The day his son was old enough to hold a sword, Somnus understood. His son had inherited his queen's temperament, and most of the servants regarded him as a gentler soul next to the severe king. Perhaps the nose resembled his wife's as well. But there was no resemblance to him, for the rest of his son's face belonged to another whose name was stricken from the texts.

Seeing his son standing before him with the face of his brother was dizzying. Somnus nearly staggered when they locked eyes. Years of leading an army hardened him, however, and his feet stayed firmly planted on the ground even as his head swam.

Not known for being one to hesitate, his momentary pause seemed to alert his son, who lowered his new weapon.

"Father, is aught amiss?"

"No," said Somnus. In a flash of blue light, his blade manifested in his hand. "Watch carefully and do as I say. This is your first lesson. Our God-given power must not be taken lightly. Do not stray from my instruction."

"Yes, Father."

* * *

It was no secret that the King and the Prince shared a distant relationship. Whereas the former could always be found seated on his throne—parting only to retire for the night or to see to his son's lessons on their God-given powers—the latter was everywhere, and oft times could be seen in the company of his mother the queen. Most would not describe the bond between father and son as being particularly warm.

One night, Somnus went to visit his queen when he heard voices from the other side of her chambers. His son, who had not inherited his previous penchant for sleep, was still with her.

"Does Father hate me, Mother?"

There was a pause before she answered, "Why do you ask this, child?"

"Attentive though he may be to my studies, he hardly ever looks at me. He's . . . distant. I know that he is withdrawn around his subjects, but is he as reticent with you, too?"

"His Majesty is a severe man. Cold sometimes, even. But I do not believe he hates you."

"What does he, then?"

"He is a man of faith. There is none in the Kingdom who's more pious, and for this he possesses charisma that draws the people to him. In order to carry out the gods' will, it was necessary that he sire an heir to the throne. You are his hope for the future."

Behind a pillar, Somnus unfolded his arms. With a furrowed brow, he stalked away from the chambers to where his own were located.

It had been too long since he had a good night's sleep. These days he slept too deeply or not at all, and he was no longer able to steal an hour of rest in the day for himself. Tonight, he suspected, would be a case of the latter as he walked the hall with silent footfalls.

* * *

As Somnus faded on his death bed, he gazed upon the murky visage of his son one last time. The vulnerable babe had matured into a young man with none of Somnus' severity but all the rationality, making him a fine candidate for the throne, which lay vacant since the moment the current king's exhausted body crumpled atop the staircase. Were it not for the intervention of his new Shield—Gilgamesh's replacement— a violent fall might have ended his life in mere hours.

At his bedside, his son sat with intertwined hands—in prayer, perhaps. Beside the Prince sat the Queen, her hands folded daintily atop her lap.

Somnus' strength was no longer his to command. Drained by the Ring on his quest to quell the Plague and see to Lucis' growth, he could barely lift a finger. His voice had also abandoned him. Gripped by a terrible yearning to reach for his son's face, he could only watch what was left of his family with his failing sight.

He knew this would come to pass, that he would die young just as his successors after him will. House Caelum was dealt a powerful hand to lead and protect, but with power there came a heavy price to pay.

How he wished he could have been a father. A brother. Till he drew his last breath, he would be neither. For leaving his wrongs to be righted by his descendants and cowering away from his brother's visage at every turn, this was to be his personal price.

Searing the face of his son that he could barely see into his mind, Somnus passed.

When they met again, it was as fellow rulers of yore. With their faces concealed behind their respective masks, they nodded to one another. Then they waited in silence.

* * *

The Ring of the Lucii shattered into fragments, and Somnus accepted the bittersweet oblivion with a smile. Finally, they were free to be as the people they had once vowed to protect.

**Author's Note:**

> Somnus is a fascinating character, flawed to the last. So willful prior to his ascension, after his death we see a tired man whose noble love for the people (construed as faith in the gods) and personal love for his brother are at odds. The ugly decisions he had to make have had such a palpable effect on him.


End file.
